Forget Me Not
by Bits And Pieces
Summary: Returning from a mission, one of the heroes has an unfortunate mishap, resulting in amnesia! What will he do when he learns who he is, and what he's been involved in all this time? Please read & review! Final Chapter is up!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I would like to dedicate this story to my mom, who was the kindest, most selfless person I have ever known. Through all the journeys I have made in my life, her love, encouragement and support for me never wavered, and her faith was unshakable. I am the luckiest person in the world to have had her for my mom. (Nov. 27, 1923 -- Nov. 17, 2008)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Hogan's Heroes characters; I just like to write about them.

* * *

**Forget Me Not**

**Chapter 1**

It was a bright, sunny September morning. The prisoners of Stalag 13 had been lined up for almost an hour for roll call, and some of the men were stomping their feet in an effort to keep warm in the chilly autumn air. Sergeant Schultz finally came down the line counting them, hoping like he did every morning that all the prisoners would be there. He got to the end, where Colonel Hogan was standing, and nervously finished his count.

"Dreizehn, vierzehn, funfzehn!" They were all here! He looked at Hogan and smiled with relief. "Colonel Hogan," he said, "I'm glad to see that all the prisoners are here this morning."

"Where _else_ would we be, Schultzie?" Newkirk called out from his position next to Hogan.

Schultz scowled at Newkirk, and was just about to respond, when the door to Colonel Klink's office banged open, and out stepped the Kommandant

"Repoooort!" Klink yelled as he strode across the compound.

Schultz came to attention and saluted. "Herr Kommandant," he stated enthusiastically, "I beg to report, all present and accounted for!"

"Very well," Klink said, returning the salute. "Now, Colonel Hogan," he continued, turning towards the senior POW officer, "If you have any requests you want to make, I suggest you do it now. I have a lot of work to do today, and I do not wish to be disturbed, especially by you!"

"Aw, Colonel," Hogan replied, sounding hurt, "When have I ever disturbed you?"

"When haven't you?" Klink retorted. "Now I mean it, Hogan," he said, waggling his finger in front of the Colonel's face, "I will not tolerate any interruptions from you today, do you understand?"

"Yes, sir!" Hogan answered, trying to sound as serious as Klink.

"Good!" Klink shot back, then turned to Schultz. "That goes for you, too!" he barked at him, then walked purposely back to his office, yelling out, "Disssssmissed!" as he left.

As the prisoners started shuffling back to the barracks, Schultz wandered over to where Hogan and his men were still standing.

"Blimey, what's eatin' at ol' Klink today?" Newkirk asked, hoping to get Schultz to fill them in.

"I shouldn't tell you," Schultz said, lowering his voice.

"Aw, c'mon Schultz," urged Hogan, "We won't tell, I promise!"

Schultz couldn't help himself. 'Well," he said conspiratorially, "The Kommandant had a date with a fraulein last night, and I heard that it didn't go very well."

"Was it that barmaid from the Hoffbrau?" Newkirk interjected.

Schultz shook his head. "Nein, it was with a woman that he met last week in Dusseldorf. At least, that's what I heard."

"So what happened, then?" asked Newkirk, "On the date, I mean."

"I don't know," Schultz answered, "I only know that when the Kommandant returned, he was in a very bad mood." Suddenly a worried expression crossed his face. "Please, Colonel Hogan," he added nervously, "Don't disturb him today…you'll get us both into trouble!" He looked at Hogan pleadingly.

"Don't worry," Hogan reassured him, "I won't bother Klink. In fact, I plan on being as far away from him as I can get!" Hogan smiled and gave his men a knowing look.

"Oh, thank you, Colonel Hogan!" Schultz exclaimed, and then noticed Hogan's expression. "You're not planning some monkey business, are you?" he said, looking worried again.

Hogan leaned in closer to him. "Do you really want to know?" he said, almost in a whisper.

"No!" Schultz answered, "I know nothing!" And with that, he turned and headed for the gate to check on the guards and start his rounds.

Hogan grinned and turned to look at his four men, who had smiles on their faces as well. "It looks like we won't have to worry about Klink today," he chuckled, then motioned towards the barracks. "We better get moving," he reminded them, "We've got our own work to do."

They filed into Barracks two. Hogan, the last one in, closed the door behind him. LeBeau went to the stove to start the coffee, and Kinch, Carter, and Newkirk sat down at the long table in the middle of the room. Hogan leaned against the bunk nearest the door, wanting to go over their mission one more time. He glanced at his watch; it was already 7:00 a.m.

"Okay," Hogan began, "Does everyone remember what they're supposed to do?"

"Oui, Mon Colonel," LeBeau answered first, "Carter and I go out the emergency tunnel at 0800, and meet with an underground agent, codename, 'Snow White.' He'll take us to the road where the new tanks will be passing by at 0900. We count them, take pictures, and then come back."

"Yeah, Colonel," Carter piped up, "I've got the camera all ready!" He said, holding it up.

"Just make sure there's film in it this time," Kinch reminded him, giving him a nudge.

Carter became indignant. "That only happened once!" he replied defensively.

"All right," Hogan interrupted, trying to keep their attention on the task at hand. "Carter, why don't you double-check; just to be on the safe side? And bring some extra film…it's very important that we get as many pictures as possible."

"Yes, sir," Carter responded, trying to sound more confident than he felt. _Boy, you mess up one time, and they never let you forget it! _He thought to himself, shooting Kinch a dirty look.

"And remember," Hogan continued, "This is a reconnaissance mission. I want you to avoid trouble at all costs."

"What about you and Newkirk, Colonel?" Asked Carter.

"Same thing goes for us," Hogan answered, "Newkirk and I will leave five minutes after you and LeBeau, but our contact is meeting us along the road to Hammelburg, at a spot approximately three miles from camp. He'll have the information for us about the tank movements that London needs to set up a counter-offensive. We get the information and high-tail it back here, hopefully in time for lunch. Simple!"

"Simple he says!" Newkirk huffed, lighting a cigarette, "Colonel," he added, "I still say it's bloody dangerous to be goin' out in broad daylight. What if we get caught?"

"That's why we'll all be in uniform." Hogan replied, wanting to reassure himself as much as Newkirk. "If we get caught, we say we're just trying to escape."

Carter looked at him questioningly. "But Colonel, what about the camera?"

"We ditch the camera, Carter!" LeBeau said, looking exasperated. "What did you think we'd do, hand it to the guards and say we found it?" LeBeau shook his head disgustedly

"Well, geez," Carter exclaimed, once again defending himself, "I never thought we'd do something like that! I'm not an idiot, you know!"

"All right, that's enough!" Hogan practically yelled at them, already anxious about the mission, "This isn't the time for arguing!"

"Sorry, Colonel," LeBeau and Carter apologized, almost in perfect unison.

Hogan noticed Carter's hang-dog expression, and immediately regretted sounding so harsh. "And Carter," he said to the young Sergeant in a gentler tone, "No one thinks you're an idiot."

Carter smiled at him. "Thanks, Colonel, and I promise I won't let you down!"

Hogan briefly smiled back. "I know you won't, Carter." he told him. "Look," he continued, addressing all of them, "I know it's dangerous to be out of camp during the day, but London needs this information, and they're counting on us to get it. Just be careful, and keep an extra eye out, and everything should go smoothly."

At least, that's what Hogan was hoping for. He'd begun to have a nagging feeling in his gut that something wasn't right, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Almost as though something bad was going to happen…

Hogan shrugged it off. They had to complete this mission; many lives depended on the information they were being sent out to collect. Besides, it was their job. _When this war is over, I'm taking a nice, long vacation! _He thought, sighing to himself.

After a few cups of coffee and a bit more time going over the details, Hogan knew they were ready. It was approaching 8:00 a.m.; time to start moving out. They went down the tunnel to where the emergency entrance was located. LeBeau and Carter went out first, the rest of the guys wishing them luck. Hogan studied his watch for a few minutes, and then let Newkirk know it was their turn. Before they headed up the ladder to the tree stump that opened into the woods, he turned to Kinch.

"I want you to stay with the radio," Hogan told him, "If there's any trouble, the underground will contact you."

"Sure, Colonel," Kinch responded, wishing he was going out this time instead of staying behind to man the radio, as usual.

"Thanks, Kinch," Hogan smiled, "I always know I can count on you." He motioned to Newkirk to climb the ladder, waited until Newkirk was clear, then climbed up himself, and was gone.

* * *

Carter and LeBeau made their way carefully through the woods just beyond Stalag 13. They arrived at the spot where their contact was supposed to be, and crouched down, furtively looking for him. They didn't have long to wait; almost immediately they saw movement just beyond the brush where they were hiding. Suddenly a figure appeared, dressed in a cape and hood. LeBeau stepped forward and called softly, "Snow White," to which the figure answered, "Papa Bear," the correct recognition code. He strode up to greet him, when the underground agent pulled the hood down, revealing a young, attractive woman. _It's a girl! _LeBeau thought to himself, delighted, _and a very beautiful one, at that! _He hurried to introduce himself.

"I am Corporal Louis LeBeau, and you are?" He said as charmingly as possible.

The girl smiled. "My name is Gretchen." She answered in a thick German accent, "I am here to take you to the road where the tanks will be passing by."

Just then Carter came up to join them. "Hey, Louis, is this our contact?" He asked, looking at Gretchen. "Wow, you really are Snow White, aren't you?" He added, noticing her dark hair cascading to her shoulders. "I'm Sergeant Carter, by the way. It's nice to meet you!" He stuck out his hand in greeting.

Gretchen took his hand and shook it firmly. "Danke, I'm glad to meet you, too," she replied sweetly.

"Carter," LeBeau whispered fiercely at him, "Don't you have somewhere else to be?"

"Gee, Louis," Carter whispered back, "I thought we were supposed to stay together."

"That doesn't mean that you have to be right next to me all the time!" Exclaimed LeBeau.

"Then where else am I supposed to be?" Carter countered, wondering why Louis was being so difficult.

Gretchen was watching the interaction of the two men with amusement. Finally she spoke up. "Gentlemen, if you will follow me?"

LeBeau smiled at her. "Please, lead the way Mon Cheri…I would follow you anywhere!" He grabbed her hand gently as he spoke, and brought it up to his lips; planting a soft kiss on the back of her hand.

A light bulb went off in Carter's head, and he realized why LeBeau wanted him to keep his distance. He smiled inwardly to himself; some things never changed!

Gretchen accepted LeBeau's attempt at chivalry for a moment, then drew her hand away. "We should get going now," she said matter-of-factly, and started off through the woods, checking periodically behind her to make sure the men were following her.

As they made their way through the forest, Carter gave LeBeau a nudge. "You just want some time alone with her, don't you?" He asked him knowingly.

"What was your first clue, Carter?" LeBeau answered sarcastically, and then suddenly felt bad for giving Carter such a hard time. "Oui, I wouldn't mind getting to know her better," he continued in a kinder tone.

"Well, I hope you get a chance to do that, Louie," Carter responded sincerely.

Now LeBeau felt real remorse for how he had been treating Carter. "Thanks," he said, apologetically.

They had almost reached their destination, when Carter suddenly had a thought. "Hey, Louie, if our contact looks like her code name, what do you suppose Colonel Hogan and Newkirk's contact will look like?"

At that, LeBeau started laughing out loud. "I don't know, Carter, but their contact's name is 'Dwarf'!"

7


	2. Chapter 2

Just in case you're wondering who ends up losing his memory, you're about to find out!

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Hogan and Newkirk were making good time weaving through the woods to get to their rendezvous point. They had a lot further to go, but Hogan was confident that his plan would get them there on time. He checked his watch; it was just after nine, and their destination was less than half a mile away. Their contact was supposed to pass by on the road at approximately 10:00 a.m., which put them ahead of schedule.

They were just rounding a small hill when Hogan thought he heard something. He stopped, motioning Newkirk to do the same, and looked around slowly; straining his ears to pick up any sound out of the ordinary. He glanced at Newkirk, who shrugged his shoulders and shook his head, indicating that he didn't hear anything. Satisfied that they were, indeed alone, he resumed his trek through the woods, waving at Newkirk to follow.

They reached the rendezvous point twenty minutes later, crouching down behind some thick brush to wait. They had a good view of the road, while being securely hidden at the same time. Hogan turned his head to look at Newkirk, who was on his left. "We've still got half an hour," he said as quietly as he could, "We might as well have a seat."

Looking grateful for a bit of rest, Newkirk plopped down onto the grass, a tired sigh escaping his lips. "Blimey," he whispered, "I'm gettin' too bloody old for this!"

Hogan sat down next to him, grinning. "You're younger than me, you know," he whispered back teasingly, "Why, this should be just a walk in the park for you!"

"A bloody long park, if you ask me, Colonel!" Newkirk answered, and then smiled back at Hogan.

* * *

Closer to camp, LeBeau and Carter watched the last of the tanks, 45 in all; make their way along the road. They had plenty of pictures to send to London, as soon as they could process and develop them. Now the trick was to get back to Stalag 13 without getting caught. They started back through the forest the way they'd come, Gretchen once again in the lead.

They'd hardly gone a few steps when Carter piped up, "Boy, there sure were a lot of tanks, weren't there, Louie? It's a good thing we got all these pictures…London's gonna love this, boy! Only next time, I hope we can plant some explosives on the road, you know? Wouldn't it be great to see those tanks go sailing into the air with a 'Blam!', and a 'Kerpow!', and lots of metal flying everywhere; like when we blew up those trucks a while back that were trying to use the camp as a gas station, and…" (1)

"Enough, Carter!" LeBeau finally cut in, exasperated. "Can't you stop talking for more than five minutes? Besides," he added, "We're supposed to be as quiet as possible so we don't draw any attention to ourselves. Do you want us to get caught?"

"Sorry," Carter apologized sheepishly, "I guess I get a little too excited sometimes."

LeBeau rolled his eyes. "Sometimes?" He mumbled, more to himself. "Look," he continued, a bit louder so Carter could hear him, "Why don't we worry about getting back to camp first, and then you can get as excited as you want, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," Carter answered back dejectedly, wishing for the umpteenth time that he could learn to keep his mouth shut.

For the next few minutes they traveled in silence, following Gretchen, retracing their steps back toward Stalag 13. They were almost in sight of it when she stopped and turned to face them.

"This is as far as I go," she told them, barely above a whisper. "Your Luft-Stalag is just up ahead. I have to meet with the underground and let them know that we were successful." She smiled and was about to leave, when LeBeau grabbed her hand once more.

"Must you go so soon?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

Gretchen gave LeBeau's hand a squeeze. "Yes," she replied softly, "But don't worry…I'm sure you will see me again." She gently extracted her hand, and lifted it to wave goodbye to Carter. "Auf Wiederschen!" She called out, then turned, and was gone.

Carter smiled back and waved. "Yeah, Auf Wiederschen!" He called out after her. "It was nice meeting you! I hope we can do this again, sometime!"

"Carter!" LeBeau hissed at him.

"What?" Carter replied, looking at LeBeau with a confused expression on his face.

"Why don't you speak a little louder?" LeBeau snapped, "I don't think the guards heard you!"

Carter's eyes widened. "Oh, right," he answered, dropping his voice to a whisper. He'd gotten carried away again, hadn't he? "Sorry, Louie," he apologized.

LeBeau opened his mouth to scold Carter some more, then thought better of it. He breathed a big sigh and just shook his head. "Come on," he said resignedly, grabbing Carter's arm, "Let's get back to camp."

* * *

Newkirk crouched behind the brush where he and Colonel Hogan had been hiding to watch the road. The Colonel was talking to their contact, whose car had shown up right on time. He shifted nervously, keeping watch, dividing his attention between Hogan and the surrounding woods. At last the exchange was finished, and Hogan started back toward him, waving at the underground agent as he drove away.

Hogan caught up to Newkirk and looked at him with a satisfied grin on his face. "Got it!" He announced, reaching up and patting the left side of his chest. The information was tucked securely in the breast pocket of his uniform shirt, underneath his jacket. "Now, let's get out of here, shall we?"

"Right, Colonel," Newkirk answered, and then added, "So who was the agent you talked to?"

"I don't think we've worked with him before," Hogan said, "But he's the shortest man I've ever seen!"

They headed back into the forest, moving as silently as possible, Hogan in the lead. They'd gone perhaps a quarter of a mile, when Hogan once again thought he heard something. He stopped, peering into the woods in the direction of the sound.

Newkirk came up next to him, looking concerned. "What's wrong, Colonel?" He asked, keeping his voice low.

Just then they both heard a noise up in the distance. It sounded suspiciously like twigs snapping, and they instantly knew what it was…a German Patrol!

Hogan leaned in close to Newkirk's ear. "Stay here," he whispered, "I'll go check it out."

Moving stealthily, Hogan crept through the underbrush, darting back and forth among the trees. The sound grew louder, and he knew he was close. He crouched down, concealing himself in the bushes, and peered out. Suddenly he saw them; five German soldiers, plodding through the woods single-file, looking tired and bored. And they were headed in Newkirk's direction!

Newkirk was waiting impatiently for Hogan to return. He was tempted to follow after him; he didn't like it when the Colonel went off by himself, risking his own life, with no one there to back him up. But he knew how angry Hogan would be if he didn't follow orders, so he stood there, trying to make up his mind, when he heard the sound of footsteps coming from a short distance behind him. He whirled around, but couldn't see anything. That decided it for him; he took off after Hogan, moving as quickly and quietly as possible.

Hogan watched until the soldiers were out of sight. He got up, turned around, and started back the way he'd come; nearly running in an effort to reach Newkirk before the patrol did.

Newkirk hurried in the direction that Hogan had taken, having a pretty good idea where he'd gone. Just then he heard more footsteps off to his right, and ducked behind a tree. When the sound of the footsteps faded, he stepped back out…directly in front of Colonel Hogan!

Hogan saw Newkirk magically appear about 6 feet in front of him. There was no way he could avoid it; he slammed full-force into him, sending them both flying to the ground. Newkirk landed on his back, smacking his head hard on a tree root that was protruding from the forest floor. Hogan landed heavily on top of him, shifting his head to the left just in time to keep it from colliding with Newkirk's. Hogan, dazed, just lay there for a moment or two. Then he blinked and started to push himself up, when the sound of shouting reached his ears. The soldiers must have heard them! As luck would have it, they had fallen right into a dense section of undergrowth, providing them with much-needed cover.

"Das ist hier entlang!" Hogan heard one of them yell, and he knew they were in danger of being discovered. He put his head down and rested his cheek on Newkirk's shoulder, watching through the thick vegetation for any sign of the patrol. The footsteps grew louder, and he saw a pair of boots come to a halt not ten feet in front of him. He held his breath, for what seemed like an eternity, when all of a sudden the boots started to move away. They hadn't seen them! Hogan exhaled, sighing in relief. He waited until the sound of footsteps faded completely, then brought his head up and looked at Newkirk.

"Newkirk, they're gone; we can get up now."

Newkirk didn't respond.

"Newkirk?" Hogan asked, starting to worry. He rolled off the Corporal and sat up, taking a closer look at him. Newkirk appeared to be unconscious.

Hogan placed his fingers on Newkirk's neck, checking his pulse; it was strong and regular. He reached up and lightly tapped Newkirk's cheek. "Newkirk, wake up!" He insisted, growing more concerned by the second. "C'mon Newkirk, open your eyes!"

Slowly Newkirk's eyes fluttered open. An intense, throbbing pain was emanating from the back of his head. He blinked a few times, trying to focus, but the pain was overwhelming; preventing him from thinking clearly.

Hogan saw Newkirk open his eyes, and he was overcome with relief. "Hey, welcome back!" He said, smiling, "You sure had me worried there for a minute!"

Newkirk didn't seem to be listening. He just stared straight up toward the tops of the trees.

Hogan was becoming concerned again. He contemplated his next course of action, and decided that the best thing now was to get Newkirk back to camp as soon as possible. Besides, he didn't want to risk getting caught by the patrol if it returned. "Newkirk, we need to get going," He stated, "Do you think you can sit up?"

Newkirk started to become aware of someone talking to him. He looked in the direction of the voice, but couldn't quite make out the figure hovering over him.

Hogan took that as a sign that Newkirk was ready to get up. "Here, let me help you," he said. He leaned down, slid his arm under Newkirk's shoulders, and pulled the Corporal up into a sitting position.

As he sat up, the throbbing in Newkirk's head intensified, forcing a groan out of him. He closed his eyes tightly, willing the pain to stop, but it kept rolling through his head in waves.

Gradually the throbbing subsided, and Newkirk once again opened his eyes. "Ow, me achin' head!" He exclaimed, reaching up and gingerly touching the knot that was forming back there. He started to look around, his gaze scrutinizing the unfamiliar surroundings. "Wha…what happened?" He stammered, "Where am I?" And then his eyes lighted on Hogan, and widened in surprise.

"And who the bloody hell are you?"

* * *

(1) "The Gasoline War", season five

6


	3. Chapter 3

I finally got chapter three finished...argh! I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I started this story! LOL I'm having fun writing it; though. Hope you like it! (And I'd update more often if I could; I just can't write that fast!) But please don't worry; I have every intention of finishing this story!

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Kinch was monitoring the radio down in the main section of the tunnel, just below their barracks, when he heard a noise coming from the direction of the emergency exit. He removed his headphones and stood up; just in time to see LeBeau and Carter appear.

"Hey, Kinch!" Carter greeted him, "We're back!"

"I can see that," Kinch replied, an amused expression on his face, "Any problems?"

"You mean other than Carter's mouth?" LeBeau retorted, shooting a dirty look at the young Sergeant.

"You're just mad because you didn't get to spend more time with Gretchen!" Carter shot back angrily. He was fed up with LeBeau's insults.

"Well maybe I could have, if you would have left us alone!" LeBeau yelled, forced to admit that Carter was right.

"And how was I supposed to do that, Louie?" Carter countered, raising his voice in response. "The Colonel told us to stick together, remember?"

"Hold it, hold it!" Kinch shouted, interrupting their argument. When he had their attention he asked, "Who's Gretchen?"

"She's the contact we met," Carter answered, "You know, 'Snow White'? And boy, is she pretty! I think Louie's in love!" He smiled, looking smugly at LeBeau.

"Oh, how would you know?" LeBeau huffed, "You were too busy talking!"

"All right," Kinch cut in, tired of listening to them argue, "The important thing is, did you get the pictures of the tanks?"

"Oh boy, did we ever!" Carter replied enthusiastically.

"Well, why don't you get started processing the film," Kinch told him, "Then when the Colonel and Newkirk get back, it'll be ready."

"Yeah, okay," Carter said, taking the camera out from under his jacket and heading toward their makeshift darkroom.

LeBeau decided he could use some time alone. "I'll go start on lunch," he announced, then headed up the ladder into the barracks.

Carter was almost to the tunnel that led to the darkroom, when he suddenly turned back and looked at Kinch. "Hey, Kinch?' He asked, "Do you think Colonel Hogan and Newkirk are okay?"

"I'm sure they're fine, Andrew," Kinch answered reassuringly, "They're probably on their way back right now. Don't worry." Kinch had learned a long time ago that it was pointless to worry until there was a reason to. Of course, that didn't stop him from worrying anyway!

"Well, I'll sure feel better when they get back." Carter replied, and then left to go to work on the film.

Kinch went back to the radio and sat down. As he put his headphones on, he thought to himself, _Me, too!_

* * *

Hogan was staring at the look of surprise on Newkirk's face. _Did he just say what I think he just said? _"Newkirk, are you all right?" He asked, concerned.

"Who are you callin' 'Newkirk', mate?" Newkirk answered, staring back at Hogan in confusion. "And you still 'aven't told me who you are, have you?"

"You're joking, right?" Hogan said, his concern growing. _Please tell me you're joking!_

"Now why would I be jokin' about a thing like that?" Newkirk responded, looking at Hogan like he had a few screws loose.

"I'm Colonel Hogan…don't you remember?"

"Sorry mate, never 'eard of you," Newkirk stated matter-of-factly. He reached up and rubbed the back of his head, wincing in pain. "Say," he added, "You wouldn't 'appen to know how I got this lump on me head, now, would you?"

Hogan was becoming extremely worried; how could Newkirk forget who he was? And then it suddenly dawned on him: that blow to Newkirk's head; it must have triggered amnesia! _Well, this is all we needed! _Hogan thought, frustrated, then immediately felt guilty; after all, it was his fault for knocking Newkirk down in the first place. _I've got to get him back to camp; have Wilson check him out, _Hogan decided. Besides, he knew if the patrol came back, he'd have a lot more to worry about than Newkirk's memory!

"Newkirk, we need to get out of here," Hogan told him, ignoring his question for now, "Do you think you can stand up?"

"Now look, let's get one thing straight, shall we, mate? My name's not 'Newkirk', it's…" A curious expression appeared on Newkirk's face as he searched his brain, frantically trying to recall who he was. But his mind was a blank. "Blimey!" He exclaimed, a worried expression crossing his face, "I can't seem to remember me own name!"

Hogan was starting to realize how difficult and frightening this must be for his poor Corporal. "Hey, it's all right," he responded gently, "Why don't you tell me what you _do_ remember?"

"Just wakin' up in this ruddy forest with a pain in me head, and seeing you sittin' there." Newkirk answered, his voice revealing a note of fear.

"Well, I can tell you your name," Hogan offered, "It's Peter Newkirk."

Newkirk looked at him, suddenly growing suspicious. "And just how would you know that, mate?"

"Because we, uh, work together," Hogan replied. "Look," he continued, still anxious about the German patrol coming back, "We really do need to get moving. I'll explain everything on the way, okay?" Hogan stood up and reached down to help Newkirk to his feet.

Newkirk just sat there, eyeing Hogan warily. "Where are we going?" He asked finally.

"Someplace safe," Hogan answered, "You're just gonna have to trust me."

Newkirk was still not convinced. "You're not tryin' to pull the wool over me eyes, are you?"

"I promise, I'm telling the truth." Hogan replied in a reassuring voice.

Newkirk wanted to believe him. After all, what else could he do? He studied Hogan's face, looking for any sign of deception, but found none. "Guess I'll have to trust you then," he responded, "I don't seem to 'ave much of a choice, do I?"

Newkirk reached up and accepted the outstretched hand. As he stood up, a wave of nausea and dizziness passed through him, and he swayed a little on his feet. He grabbed Hogan's arm to steady himself, when suddenly he turned his head away, and promptly deposited the contents of his stomach all over the forest floor.

Hogan knew what that meant…Newkirk had a concussion! Now more than ever he needed to get Newkirk back as quickly as possible.

At last the dizziness and nausea subsided. Newkirk let go of Hogan's arm, and straightened up. "I'm all right now," he said, and then looked apologetically at Hogan. "Sorry about that, mate...um, what did you say your name was, again?"

"It's Hogan. Colonel Hogan."

"Hogan Colonel Hogan? That's quite an odd name you 'ave there, ain't it?"

"No, no," Hogan said, mentally slapping his forehead, "It's…look, why don't you just call me Hogan?"

"That does sound a bit easier." Newkirk replied. "Well, Hogan, suppose now you tell me what we're doin' out here in this bleedin' forest? And just where are we, anyway? Oh, and while you're about it, how _did _I get this ruddy bump on me head? And how is it you…"

"Hold on there, Newkirk!" Hogan interrupted, and then grinned at him. "I'll be happy to answer all of your questions; but first, let's get going, shall we?" He motioned toward the direction that led back to camp.

As they started their trek through the woods, Hogan breathed a big sigh: _Where do I start?_ "Well," he began, "You already know your name is Newkirk. You're a Corporal in the R.A.F…"

"The R.A.F.?"

"The Royal Air Force. It's based in London…do you know what London is?"

"Of course I know what London is! It's a city, isn't it? A city in…in…"

"England."

"Right, England. Is that where you're from, Hogan?"

"No, I'm from America. I'm a Colonel in the United States Army Air Corps, although I was stationed in London before I ended up here."

"And where's 'here'?"

"Germany."

"Let me see if I've got this straight. I'm from England and you're from America, and we're in Germany? So what are we doin' here, and how is it we're working together?"

"Well, you see, there's this war on…"

Hogan proceeded to tell Newkirk about the war; that they'd been shot down over Germany while on their own respective missions, and they were both prisoners in a POW camp. He went on to explain what they'd been doing for the past several years, some of the missions they'd been on, who Kinch, Carter, and LeBeau were, and anything else that he thought might jog Newkirk's memory. As they neared Stalag 13, he stopped and turned to look at Newkirk, who had grown quiet over the past several minutes.

"Well, Hogan," Newkirk said at last, "That's quite a tale you've just told me! I must say, I'm finding it a bit hard to believe."

"It _is_ rather incredible, isn't it?" Hogan replied, suddenly realizing how all this must have sounded to Newkirk. "Trust me, if the situation was reversed, I'd have a hard time believing it, myself!"

"So what now, Hogan?" Newkirk asked, surveying the area of woods that they were standing in. "Are we gettin' close to your camp?"

"It's your camp, too," Hogan answered, wondering how Newkirk was going to react when he got inside, "And yes, we're close. From here on in, we have to be as quiet as possible. Ready? Follow me."

Hogan moved stealthily through the woods, making sure that Newkirk was right behind him. As they approached Stalag 13, he crept up to a large tree stump and crouched down, motioning Newkirk to come up next to him and do the same.

As Newkirk moved to the stump, he caught a glimpse of the camp, and instantly froze at what he saw. There were several long buildings, surrounded by a high fence that stretched as far as he could see in both directions. The fence had thick rolls of barbed wire running along the top. There were also two or three tall towers within his field of vision that were spaced evenly along the outside of the fence. But what scared him the most were the dozens of men that he could see, walking back and forth; carrying machine guns!

Newkirk just stood there, unable to move, when Hogan suddenly darted out, grabbed his arm, and pulled him behind the tree stump.

"That's a good way to get yourself caught…or shot!" Hogan whispered fiercely at him.

"Blimey…" Newkirk breathed out quietly, and then looked at Hogan. "You've been tellin' me the truth this whole time, 'aven't you? I thought you were pullin' me leg!"

"I wish I had been," Hogan replied, keeping his voice low, "Look, we're at the emergency entrance to one of our tunnels that I told you about. I need you to go in first, and I'll follow. We'll be safe once we get inside. Okay?"

Newkirk once again looked at Hogan like he was off his nut. "You want me to go in there?" He asked incredulously, pointing toward Stalag 13, "You must be daft!"

Hogan looked back; a strange intensity emanating from him. "Trust me!" he said, pleading with his eyes for Newkirk to do just that.

Newkirk stared at him for a moment or two. At last he let out a huge sigh of resignation and replied, "All right, mate, I'll trust you. Where's this tunnel of yours?"

Hogan smiled. "It's right in front of you!" He reached up and opened the top of the tree stump, revealing a large hole leading straight down, with a ladder along the side.

Newkirk's eyes opened wide. "What, 'ave you got ruddy gophers workin' for you?" He exclaimed in amazement.

"Yeah," Hogan chuckled, "And they all wear uniforms!"

"You really want me to go down there?"

"Yes."

"And you'll be right behind me?"

"Yes, now go…quickly, before the guards find us!"

Newkirk got up and climbed into the stump. He took one last look at Hogan, opened his mouth to say something, and then thought better of it. _Can't believe I'm doin' this! _He thought, shaking his head, and reluctantly climbed down to the tunnel below.

Hogan waited until Newkirk was clear, and then followed after, closing the top of the tree stump on his way down. A thought popped into his brain, and he couldn't help smiling: _Newkirk's in for one hell-of-a surprise!_

7


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Carter emerged from the side tunnel carrying eight small strips of film, suspended from a wooden clip about two feet long. "All finished!" He announced, smiling at Kinch.

Kinch removed his headphones and smiled back. "That's great, Andrew," he said, "The Colonel will be impressed."

Just then the trapdoor leading to the barracks banged up, and LeBeau poked his head through the opening. "Lunch is ready," LeBeau called down, "Are the Colonel and Newkirk back yet?"

"Not yet," Kinch called back.

LeBeau climbed down to join Kinch and Carter in the main tunnel. "Not back?" he asked, concern evident in his voice. "They should have been back an hour ago!"

Now Carter was getting worried as well. "You don't think anything happened to them, do you?" He said; adding, "Maybe we should go out and look for them."

Suddenly a noise reached their ears, and it seemed to be coming from the direction of the emergency tunnel. The three men turned their heads just in time to see Colonel Hogan arrive, followed by Newkirk. They breathed a collective sigh of relief; glad to have both men back safe.

Kinch was the first to greet them. "Welcome back, Colonel! We were beginning to wonder about you two."

"Thanks Kinch," Hogan responded, "We would have been back sooner, but we ran into a slight problem."

Newkirk was standing behind Hogan, looking around the tunnel in amazement. "Bloody marvelous!" He suddenly exclaimed, "Did you do all this, Hogan?"

Hogan turned around and smiled at him. "Well, I had a lot of help," he said.

Newkirk smiled back. "You certainly weren't lyin', were you?" He replied excitedly, "Blimey, I'll never doubt you again, mate!" His eyes lighted on Kinch, and he said, "Oh, 'ello! You must be…ah…"

Hogan leaned close to Newkirk's ear and whispered, "Kinch."

"Kinch, right!" Newkirk said, and then continued, "You're the one what monitors the radio, aren't you?"

Kinch couldn't have looked more confused. "Yeah, that's me, I guess," He answered, deciding to play along.

"Well, from what Hogan 'ere tells me, he couldn't get along without you." Newkirk told him, extending his hand toward Kinch.

Kinch shot a bewildered look at Hogan, and then took Newkirk's hand and shook it firmly.

Newkirk seemed genuinely pleased. "Nice to meet you!" He said.

Kinch looked at him like he was about to spring some kind of joke on him. "Nice to meet you, too," he said finally.

Newkirk let go of Kinch's hand, then looked over at LeBeau and Carter, who were staring at him with their mouths hanging open. Approaching LeBeau he said, "And you must be…"

"LeBeau," Hogan informed him, still smiling. He was finding the whole thing rather amusing.

"LeBeau," Newkirk repeated, "The Frenchman, right? Hogan tells me you're a chef. Well, I can't wait to try some of your cookin'!" He stuck out his hand and, when LeBeau raised his, he shook it vigorously.

Last, but not least, Newkirk turned his attention to Carter. "And you're…no, don't tell me! Um…Carter! That's it, isn't it?"

Carter, too shocked to say anything, just nodded.

"Well, mate," Newkirk continued, "I 'ere you're an expert at blowin' things up, am I right?" Newkirk held his hand out, smiling at the young Sergeant.

Carter finally found his voice. "Uh, yeah buddy, that's me," he said, reaching out and shaking Newkirk's hand. "But I wouldn't say I'm an expert…"

"Well, that's what Hogan told me." Newkirk said, and then his eyes started to wander around the tunnel once again. He walked back to where Hogan was standing and asked, "Mind if I 'ave a look around, mate?"

"Go ahead," Hogan replied, "But only for a few minutes. We need to get up to the barracks soon."

Newkirk started wandering around the tunnel, taking it all in, periodically exclaiming his amazement at what he saw. While he was exploring, LeBeau and Carter went over to join Kinch and Hogan.

LeBeau finally asked the question that was on all of their minds. "What's the matter with him, Colonel?" He said, glancing briefly at Newkirk.

"Yeah, Colonel," Carter piped up, "Why is Newkirk acting so funny?"

"Well," Hogan began to explain, "On the way back from meeting our contact, he had a little accident."

"What happened, Colonel?" Kinch asked.

"We were trying to dodge a German patrol, when Newkirk fell and hit his head," Hogan continued, neglecting to mention that he himself had knocked Newkirk down. "He lost consciousness for a minute or two, and when he woke up, he had amnesia."

"Amnesia!" exclaimed LeBeau, his eyes widening.

"You mean he doesn't remember who we are?" Carter asked, not quite believing it.

"That's what amnesia usually means," Kinch answered, frowning at Carter.

"But he does seem to know something about us," said LeBeau, a puzzled look on his face.

Hogan nodded. "Only what I've told him," He replied, "I filled him in as much as I could on the way back to camp."

"So," asked Kinch, "What are we gonna do about him, Colonel?"

"First things first," Hogan answered. "Carter, LeBeau, did you get the pictures?"

"Yes sir," Carter told him, "And I already got the film ready to go."

Hogan smiled at him. "Good job, Carter." He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a small envelope. "This is the information from our contact. Kinch, who do we have going out tonight to meet with the sub?"

"That would be Lt. Hanley. He's supposed to leave at 2200 hours."

"Good. Make sure that Lt. Hanley has this envelope and the film. He can take it all the way back to London for us."

"Right, Colonel," Kinch said, taking the envelope from Hogan.

Hogan looked at Carter next. "I want you to go find Sergeant Wilson and have him meet me in my quarters," he told him, "I'd like to have him check out the bump on Newkirk's head."

"What about me, Mon Colonel?" LeBeau asked.

Hogan grinned and put his hand on LeBeau's shoulder. "Didn't I hear you say something about lunch? I'm starving!"

LeBeau gave Hogan his most disappointed look. "Yes sir," he replied, turning toward the ladder that led to the barracks. When his back was to Hogan, he rolled his eyes and muttered, "All I ever do around here is cook!"

As Carter and LeBeau made their exit, Hogan decided he better round up Newkirk and get him upstairs. "Newkirk?" He called out, not seeing the Corporal right away.

"I'm right 'ere, Hogan," Newkirk responded from directly behind him, making him jump.

"Newkirk!" Hogan gasped, "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Sorry, Hogan; didn't mean to scare you, mate."

"It's okay," Hogan said, catching his breath, "Just don't do that again!" He looked at Newkirk, and couldn't help grinning. "C'mon, let's go up to the barracks. I want the camp medic to check you out."

* * *

They climbed up the ladder and made their way through the opening above. As Hogan lowered the false bottom of the bunk that hid the entrance to the tunnel, Newkirk watched in awe. "Fascinatin'!" He exclaimed, and then turned around to survey his new surroundings.

There were rows of bunks to either side of the room, and a long table in the middle with benches on either side. A large black stove stood just beyond the table, and beyond that to the right stood a row of wall lockers, followed by more bunks. To the left of the stove there was a door that appeared to lead into a smaller room. And to the right, a larger door that; presumably, led outside.

LeBeau was hovering over the stove, fussing over a pot containing a delicious-smelling concoction that was bubbling away merrily. Newkirk inhaled deeply. "Now that smells good enough to eat!" He said, suddenly realizing that he was famished. But just then Hogan grabbed his arm and directed him toward the room on the left.

"We'll eat in a minute," Hogan told him, "Right now I want my medic to take a look at you."

Hogan opened the door to his quarters and, motioning to the chair by his desk, said, "Have a seat, Newkirk, he should be here any minute."

As if on cue, Wilson arrived, with Carter following close behind.

"You sent for me, Colonel?" Wilson asked, glancing over at Newkirk.

"Yeah," Hogan replied, "I want you to check out Newkirk here. He's got a pretty nasty bump on his head."

"So Carter was telling me," Wilson said. "He also told me that Newkirk has amnesia."

"That's what it looks like," Hogan informed him.

"Well, I'll look him over," Wilson stated, and then added, "It might be better if I examine him in private, Colonel."

All right," Hogan answered. He shooed Carter out of his quarters, following after, and closed the door behind him.

As soon as the door shut, Carter turned to look at Hogan. It was obvious how concerned he was for his friend. "Colonel," he said worriedly, "Do you think Newkirk will be okay?"

"I'm sure he'll be just fine, Carter," Hogan told him, putting his arm around him reassuringly and guiding him over to the table. He noticed that Kinch had already grabbed a plate of food and sat down. "Why don't you have some lunch?" He urged Carter, "You'll feel better after you eat something."

"Yeah, okay, Colonel," Carter responded.

After a couple of minutes the door to Hogan's quarters opened, and Wilson emerged, followed by Newkirk. The medic caught Hogan's eye, and gestured with a turn of his head that he wanted to talk to him.

Hogan gave Wilson a slight nod and turned to Newkirk. "Hey, Newkirk," Hogan greeted him, "How are you feeling?"

"Just fine, mate," Newkirk answered. Wilson 'ere says I'm as healthy as a horse!"

"That's great news!" Hogan said, and then put his hand on the Corporal's shoulder and led him over to the table, just like he had done with Carter a few minutes ago. "Now, why don't you get something to eat? I'll join you in a minute." He signaled to LeBeau, and when he saw him going over to help Newkirk, he turned back to Wilson. "So, how is he really?" He asked him.

Wilson cleared his throat. "Well, Colonel," he began, "That's some knot he's got on the back of his head! He's definitely got amnesia, and it looks like he also has a mild concussion. You'll need to keep an eye on him for the rest of the day. If he starts acting strange or disoriented, let me know right away."

"Is he ever going to get his memory back?" Hogan asked, afraid of what the answer might be.

Wilson looked at Hogan seriously. "I wish I could tell you, but I honestly don't know. Amnesia is a tricky thing. Sometimes a person will regain their memory within days, or even hours after developing it. Sometimes…well, sometimes it never returns. Only time will tell."

Hogan sighed. "Thanks, Wilson," he said. Somehow, he'd already known what the medic was going to say. He started wondering what he was going to do if Newkirk didn't recover his memory. He couldn't let him stay here; it would be too dangerous…not only for Newkirk, but for the whole operation. Of course, that left him with only one other option.

_If Newkirk's memory doesn't come back soon, _He thought sadly,_ I may have to send him back to England!_

7


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I felt like my last chapter was a bit short, so I think this one will make up for it!

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**Chapter 5**

Hogan went to join his men for lunch; glad to finally be getting something to eat. He immediately noticed that Newkirk was sitting next to Carter, and inwardly smiled. He wasn't sure why, but he had a feeling if anyone could help jog Newkirk's memory, it would be him. He fixed himself a plate and sat down next to Kinch.

For a minute or two no one said anything; they were too busy wolfing down their food. It was Newkirk who finally broke the silence. "LeBeau, this is delicious!" He exclaimed, "You're a terrific cook, mate!"

"Funny," LeBeau replied sarcastically, "You never liked it before."

"Didn't I?" Newkirk seemed surprised. "Well, I must 'ave been crackers then, because this is fantastic!"

LeBeau looked at him suspiciously, waiting for the insult that was sure to follow. When none seemed to be forthcoming, he asked, "Are you serious?"

Carter gave Newkirk a nudge. "Some people don't know how to take a complement," he said with a smirk, glancing in LeBeau's direction.

"I do too know how to take a complement!" LeBeau cried out indignantly. "I'm just not used to getting them from any of you!"

"Now that's not fair, Louie," Carter replied defensively, "We complement you all the time!"

"Oh, really?" LeBeau countered, "When was the last time _you_ said you liked my cooking?"

Carter appeared to be contemplating. "I think it was last week," he answered, his brow furrowing in concentration, "Or was it the week before? I'm sure I said something…maybe it was…well, I've never said I didn't like your food, did I?"

LeBeau's face was red with anger by now. "Carter, I'm going to…"

"Hold it, hold it!" Hogan yelled, interrupting them. When he had their attention he said, "LeBeau, you're an excellent cook, and if we haven't let you know that lately, then I apologize…for all of us!" He glanced at Carter, who now had a guilty expression on his face.

"Thank you, Colonel," LeBeau said as graciously as he could, throwing Carter a look of triumph.

Newkirk had been watching the entire exchange in complete confusion. He finally spoke up. "I don't understand," he said, glancing between Carter and LeBeau, "Why were you two arguin' just now? I thought you were mates."

"Oh, I think they just like to argue," Kinch told him, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth, "They do it often enough."

"We don't _always_ argue like this, you know," Carter stated matter-of-factly.

"He's right," Kinch replied, breaking into a grin, "Usually it's much worse!"

Carter opened his mouth to protest, when suddenly the door to the barracks burst open, and Sergeant Schultz entered, simultaneously yelling, "Rous! Rous! Everybody outside for a surprise roll call! Rous!"

Hogan stood up and turned to face the large man. "Aw, c'mon Schultz; we're eating here!"

"Yeah, Schultzie," LeBeau piped up, "Why don't you let us finish, and I'll let you have some, too."

Schultz inhaled deeply and closed his eyes. "Oh, it smells wunderbar!" He exclaimed, but then opened his eyes and said, "No, I can't…I have my orders. Colonel Klink wants everybody outside for roll call right away!"

"Why does he want a roll call in the middle of the day, Schultz?" Hogan asked him, fishing for information.

"I don't know," Schultz answered nervously; "I only know that he wants you all outside right now. Please, Colonel Hogan!"

Hogan turned to his men. "Well, you heard him, fellas, everybody outside!"

There was a collective groan from the men seated at the table. They started to get up and make their way to the door. As Carter rose, he felt a hand latch onto his arm and grip it tightly. He turned to look at Newkirk, who was looking back at him, his eyes filled with fear.

"That's a German guard!" He whispered fiercely, glancing at Schultz and, more importantly, the rifle he was carrying.

Carter put his hand reassuringly on Newkirk's shoulder and smiled at him. "Oh, that's just Schultz," he replied, "You don't have to be scared of him, he's okay." _Boy, _he thought to himself, _I've never seen Newkirk like this before! He really has lost his memory, hasn't he?_

"So, where is everyone going, then?" Newkirk asked, still scared.

"We have to go outside and line up, and then Schultz will count us to make sure we're all here," Carter explained, "Then we have to wait for the Kommandant to come over and tell us why he's making us stand out there in the first place. Then he usually says something that we already know, and…"

"Carter," Hogan called to him, "Let's go. I'll show Newkirk where to stand."

"C'mon, Newkirk," Carter said, leading him toward the door, "It'll be okay, I promise!"

Hogan now noticed how frightened Newkirk looked. He smiled at him and said, "Don't worry, Newkirk, we do this all the time!"

* * *

They went outside and joined the line that had formed directly in front of the barracks. Hogan took his position, and motioned for Newkirk to stand next to him on his left. Schultz came down the line, counting them, once again elated that they were all there. He looked at them, smiling, and was about to say something, when the door to Klink's office opened and the Kommandant emerged.

"Repooort!" Klink yelled, like he always did.

"All present and accounted for, Kommandant!" Schultz declared.

Newkirk saw Klink approach, and his fear grew. He shot a look at Hogan, who was standing at attention, staring straight ahead. He decided to copy him, doing his best to stand straight and look forward.

Klink walked up to the line of prisoners and started pacing back and forth in front of them. "I suppose you're all wondering why I called this little 'Surprise' roll call, aren't you?"

"You were feeling lonely, sir?" Hogan asked innocently.

Klink shot Hogan a look of annoyance. Ignoring Hogan's comment, he continued, "I have just been informed that there was an escape from Stalag 4 this morning, and five men are now missing from there."

The line of men began cheering. Klink let them carry on for a moment, and then held up his hand. "I'm telling you this because I want to remind you that there's never been an escape from Stalag 13, and I don't want you getting any ideas…"

"But that's not what you told me, Hogan!" Newkirk blurted out, turning his head to look at him, "You said…"

Hogan leaned over and clamped his hand over Newkirk's mouth. He brought his face up to Newkirk's ear and, gesturing to Klink with his eyes, hissed, "He's not supposed to know about that!"

"Colonel Hogan!" Klink shouted, "What are you doing? Remove your hand from that man at once!"

Hogan let go of Newkirk and stepped back to his spot, glancing nervously at him.

Klink stepped in front of Newkirk and looked directly at him. "Now, Corporal Newkirk," he said, "Is there something you want to tell me?"

Newkirk was scared to death. At last he croaked out, "No."

"No?" Klink repeated, looking expectant.

Hogan leaned over again and whispered something in Newkirk's ear.

"No, sir!" Newkirk answered.

Klink looked at Hogan and motioned him away from the line. When they were far enough away to carry on a private conversation, Klink asked, "Colonel Hogan, what's wrong with your Englishman?"

Thinking quickly, Hogan replied, "He's been sleepwalking, sir. It started last week. I think it's making him a little delusional."

"Sleepwalking?" Klink echoed.

"Yeah," Hogan said, and then leaned in conspiratorially. "He's even started thinking he's someone else while he's doing it."

"Really?"

"Uh huh. Last night, he thought he was Churchill for a whole hour!"

"He did?"

"Yes, sir. And the night before that, he thought he was Hitler!"

"He thought he was Hitler?"

"Yep."

"So, what did you do, Hogan?"

"Well, we tried to get him back to bed, but he wouldn't stop making speeches!"

Klink looked at Hogan, and knew he'd been had. "Hogan!" he exclaimed angrily, "Just control your man from now on; I will not tolerate any more outbursts at roll call!" He stomped off, heading back to his office, yelling, "Dismissed!" almost as an afterthought.

As soon as Klink was gone, Hogan looked at his men. "In my office, now!" He ordered, giving them each a look that said he meant it. He walked purposely toward the barracks, not once checking to see if they were following.

Newkirk turned to Carter. "He's angry with me, isn't he?" He said quietly, looking both scared and sad at the same time.

"Aw, hey, it's not your fault, you know," Carter responded, trying to make him feel better. "I think he's just upset because we forgot to tell you to be quiet at roll call, that's all. Don't worry, It'll be okay, you'll see!"

Newkirk looked at him gratefully. "Thanks, Carter," he replied.

"Hey, what are friends for?" Carter said, smiling at him. "Oh, and by the way," he added, "You can call me Andrew if you want to."

Newkirk looked at him curiously. "Andrew?" He repeated.

"Yeah, that's my first name." Carter informed him. "You used to call me that all the time, remember?"

Newkirk searched his brain, but there was nothing. "Sorry, mate, I just can't seem to remember. But I'll be happy to call you Andrew, if that's what you prefer."

"Gee, thanks, Newkirk!" Carter replied happily, and then, suddenly realizing they were supposed to be meeting in Colonel Hogan's quarters, said, "We better get going. I don't want to make the Colonel any madder than he is already!"

* * *

Carter led Newkirk back through the barracks and into Hogan's quarters. Kinch and LeBeau were already there, standing near the desk. As soon as they entered, Hogan shut the door.

Before Hogan could say anything, Newkirk spoke up. "I'm sorry for gettin' you in trouble, Hogan," he apologized, a mixture of sadness and guilt radiating from his eyes.

Hogan noticed how crestfallen his Corporal was, and his anger immediately drained away. "It's all right," he replied gently, "I realize this isn't your fault. And don't worry; I'm not in any trouble…at least no more than usual! But, it's obvious that we need to show you how things work around here."

"I'd like that, mate," Newkirk responded sincerely. "I don't want to be causin' trouble for you...or for me self!"

"Well," Hogan said, "The first thing you should know is what to call me. I know I told you to call me Hogan, but since I'm your Commanding Officer, you need to address me as 'Colonel Hogan', okay?"

"Or you can call him 'Colonel'…or even just, 'Sir'." Carter added.

Hogan looked at him. "Thanks, Carter, but I think I can handle this," he told him impatiently.

"Sorry, sir," Carter replied, embarrassed.

Hogan turned his attention back to Newkirk, and was about to continue, when an idea popped into his head. "Say," he said, glancing briefly at the other three men in the room, "Why don't I have one of my men here show you around the camp, and he can fill you in on what you need to know at the same time."

"I'll do it, Colonel!" Carter volunteered enthusiastically.

Hogan smiled at him. "I had you in mind, Carter."

"C'mon, buddy," Carter said, grabbing Newkirk's arm and leading him out of the office, "We can start with the rec hall; you're gonna love that place, boy! There's a pool table, and a record player, and we've got lots of records to listen to. And sometimes we have dances in there, but only for special occasions, you know. And then I'll take you over to…"

As Carter's voice faded, LeBeau looked at Hogan. "You're sending him out there with Carter?" He asked him incredulously.

"Yeah, Colonel," Kinch chimed in, "You _sure_ you're not mad at him for what happened at roll call?"

Hogan looked surprised. "Don't you get it?" He replied, "Carter's perfect! Newkirk's gonna learn more about this place in an hour with him than it would take one of us a week to explain!"

Kinch nodded. "You're right, Colonel." He agreed.

"Oui, Mon Colonel," LeBeau responded, also in agreement. "I hadn't thought of it like that before. But I still think Newkirk will need a couple of aspirins when he gets back!" LeBeau chuckled, and then went out to the main barracks to clean up the dishes.

As soon as they were alone, Kinch asked, "So, Colonel, have you decided what we're going to do about Newkirk?"

"Not yet, Kinch," Hogan told him. "Wilson said he might get his memory back in a few days, or it might not come back at all. Only time will tell."

"And if it doesn't come back?" Kinch asked.

Hogan sighed. "You saw what happened today. The way Newkirk was acting; he was terrified! Even if we teach him everything he's forgotten, I don't think he's got the temperament he needs for this job anymore." Hogan walked over to the chair and sat down heavily. "He's just so…different."

"Well, sure, Colonel," Kinch said, seeing what Hogan was getting at. "When he lost his memory, his old personality went with it. Everything's brand-new to him right now. Imagine how you'd react to a place like this if you lost your memory?"

"Probably the same way Newkirk's reacting right now." Hogan replied, grinning, and then his grin faded. "But that's the problem, Kinch. If he doesn't get his memory back, it's not safe to keep him here…not for him, and not for us." Hogan considered it for a moment, and then finally made his decision.

"Two days, Kinch," he told him. "I'll give him two days, and if his memory isn't back by then, I'm sending him home."

8


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry it took so long for me to update; I had to leave town unexpectedly for a week. Hope you like the next chapter, even if it's a bit shorter. Just wanted to let you know I'm still working on this story, and will finish it soon! :D

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**Chapter 6**

"…And here we have the chow hall, but we don't eat in there very often because Louie cooks for us most of the time; which is a good thing, because everything they make in there tastes like potatoes. Now, don't get me wrong; I like potatoes, but not for every meal! Oh, and don't let Louie fool you; we really do complement him all the time, but you know how chefs are; they get kind of touchy about their food…"

"Andrew?" Newkirk interrupted, grabbing Carter's arm. "I'm feelin' a bit tired…do you think it'd be all right for me to 'ave a rest?" They'd been touring the camp for over an hour now, and he was starting to get dizzy again, and a little sick to his stomach. Not to mention he'd completely lost track of what Carter was saying about ten minutes ago.

"Oh, sure buddy," Carter responded, growing concerned when he looked at Newkirk and saw how pale he was. "Why don't I take you back to the barracks, and you can lie down for a while?"

"That sounds like a great idea, mate," Newkirk replied.

Hogan had just finished going over some final details with Lt. Hanley, and was heading to his office, when Carter and Newkirk entered the barracks. Hogan glanced in their direction, and immediately noticed Newkirk: he looked like he was about to drop from exhaustion. "Newkirk, are you okay?" He asked, becoming alarmed.

"I'm a bit tuckered out, if you don't mind my sayin' so," Newkirk answered tiredly.

Hogan walked over and put his arm around the Corporal. "Looks like you could use a nap," he said, guiding Newkirk in the direction of his office, "Here, you can rest in my quarters; it'll be quieter."

"Thanks, Hoga…Colonel Hogan," Newkirk replied, correcting himself. "At least until me head stops spinnin'!"

Hogan suspected that Newkirk was still suffering from his concussion. He brought Newkirk into his quarters and, gesturing toward his bunk, smiled and said, "Get some sleep."

Newkirk looked at him gratefully. He stretched out on the bottom bunk, and by the time his head hit the pillow, he was out.

Hogan covered him with a blanket, and then crept out of his quarters, closing the door behind him. He noticed Carter hovering around the stove, a worried look on his face. "Carter," he said to him, "When did Newkirk start feeling ill?"

"Just a few minutes ago, Colonel," Carter answered, "When I was showing him the chow hall."

_Well, that explains it! _Hogan inwardly smiled. But then his concern for Newkirk pushed that thought away.

Carter was shifting nervously. "Sir, do you think he's gonna be okay?"

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Hogan replied, trying to reassure them both. "He's probably just worn out. Still, why don't you go find Wilson? I want him to know what's going on."

"Sure thing, Colonel," Carter responded. He turned and headed out of the barracks; in search of the camp medic. A few minutes later he returned with Wilson, and they both went to join Hogan, who was still standing in front of his quarters.

Wilson spoke first. "So, how's Newkirk doing, Colonel?"

"He wasn't feeling too well," Hogan told him, "He's in my quarters sleeping."

"Was he acting confused or disoriented?" Wilson asked.

"No," Hogan answered, "Just dizzy."

Wilson appeared to consider it. "Well then," he said finally, "Let him sleep…it's probably the best thing for him right now. But someone will need to wake him up every couple of hours, just to make sure he's okay. It's standard procedure for concussions. I can do it if you want me to, Colonel."

"No, that's all right," Hogan replied, "I'll take care of it."

* * *

The day wore on, and Newkirk slept; Hogan checking on him periodically. When dinner time came, Hogan tried to get him up, but he didn't seem too interested. So he decided to let Newkirk sleep; hoping that maybe it would help to restore his memory.

That night, just before Lt. Hanley made his exit, Hogan came down into the tunnel to see if Kinch had received any news over the radio regarding the five escaped prisoners from Stalag 4. They'd been informed earlier that an underground agent would meet up with the escapees and point them in the direction of Stalag 13, and Kinch had been monitoring the radio for word on when and where to pick them up. He suddenly took off his headphones and looked at Hogan.

"Bad luck, Colonel," Kinch said.

"What's up, Kinch?" Hogan asked, suspecting he already knew the answer.

"The guys that escaped Stalag 4 have been re-captured." Kinch informed him.

Hogan looked troubled. "What happened?"

"Looks like they took a wrong turn, and ran right into a German patrol." Kinch stated unhappily.

"I wonder what went wrong," Hogan contemplated out loud, "The agent that met them should have had no trouble directing them here."

"Maybe they'll have better luck next time, Colonel." Kinch offered.

"I hope so, Kinch." Hogan sighed. "Well," he continued, "I'm going to try to get some sleep…and I suggest you do the same."

"Is Newkirk still in your quarters?" Kinch asked him, curious.

"Yeah," Hogan responded, "I'll let him stay in there tonight. I have to keep an eye on him, anyway." And then, almost as an afterthought, Hogan quipped, "He just better not snore!"

* * *

Hogan felt like his head had barely hit the pillow when he heard a knock on the door to his quarters.

"Roll call in fifteen minutes, Colonel," Hogan heard LeBeau call through the door.

"Thanks, LeBeau," Hogan answered, loud enough for him to hear. He sat up and stretched his arms, and then jumped down off the top bunk and began to get dressed. When he had his uniform on, he sat down on the side of the bottom bunk and put his hand on Newkirk's shoulder.

"Newkirk," he said, shaking him gently, "Time to wake up."

Newkirk's eyes fluttered open. "Again?" He replied sleepily.

"I'm afraid so," Hogan informed him, "Only this time you need to get up. We have roll call in ten minutes." He was hoping against hope that Newkirk would be back to his old self after all the sleep he'd had.

But it wasn't meant to be. Hogan knew the minute he saw Newkirk's eyes widen, and heard him respond, "Roll call? But we just did that yesterday! How many bleedin' roll calls do you people 'ave, anyway?"

"Every morning," Hogan answered, somewhat sadly, "But don't worry; you'll get used to it." He saw the fear start to return to Newkirk's face, and quickly added, "Relax; you know what to do this time. Just keep quiet, and if Klink asks you any questions, try to answer with 'yes' or 'no'."

Newkirk took a deep breath. "All right, Colonel Hogan." He replied.

They were almost to the door of his quarters, when Hogan remembered to add, "Oh, and don't forget to say, 'Sir'."

Newkirk smirked. "Yes, sir!" He said, and with that, they went out to join the others in the main barracks.

* * *

Schultz arrived, on time as usual, and ushered everyone out of the barracks. The prisoners were stomping their feet as Schultz counted them, trying to keep warm in the chilliness of the morning air. Like clockwork, as soon as Schultz was finished, Klink exited his office, and made his way to the line of prisoners. After Schultz gave his report, Klink started pacing in front of the POWs.

"I would just like to inform you." Klink began, "That the prisoners who escaped from Stalag 4 have been recaptured."

There was a chorus of "Boos" from the line of men. After a moment Klink continued, "This should be a warning to all of you that you cannot escape from a German POW camp, so there is no use in even trying." As he finished, he found himself in front of Newkirk. Turning to the Corporal, he said, "I trust you slept well, Newkirk?"

Newkirk swallowed hard and replied, "Yes, sir."

"Very well," Klink responded, and then, with a wave of his hand, yelled, "Dismissed!" But before Hogan could go back to the barracks, he stopped him.

"Colonel Hogan," Klink addressed him, "I would like to have a word with you."

"Sure, Colonel," Hogan answered, "What's up?"

Klink dropped his voice a little so no one else could hear their conversation. "Any more sleepwalking by your Englishman?" He asked, inquisitively.

"No, sir," Hogan answered, "We made sure of that."

"And how did you do that, Colonel Hogan?"

"We tied him to the bed!"

Klink looked at Hogan, his irritation escalating. "Colonel Hogan," he stated through clenched teeth, "Don't push me too far, or you'll end up with 30 days in the cooler; do you understand?"

"Yes, sir!" Hogan responded. He gave Klink a quick, sloppy salute and headed back to the barracks, not waiting to see if Klink had anything more to say.

As Hogan entered the barracks, he immediately noticed LeBeau starting on breakfast. He felt his stomach rumble, and was once again grateful for the Frenchman's talents at cooking. _I'm getting too spoiled! _He thought to himself. He also noticed that Newkirk was engaged in a conversation with Carter, and he couldn't help grinning.

"I didn't mean to leave you like that, Andrew," Hogan overheard Newkirk trying to explain to the Sergeant, "I just wasn't feelin' me self…"

"No, that's okay, Newkirk, you couldn't help it; I understand," Carter was saying, hoping to make him feel better.

Newkirk seemed relieved. "Maybe you could finish showin' me around, then? I'd still like to know where it is I've been stayin' all this time." He found himself liking Carter, even though he talked a lot. Maybe it was because Carter appeared to be so interested in helping him.

"Sure, buddy!" Carter exclaimed happily. "After we finish up outside, I can show you the tunnels, and how we help escaped prisoners to get back to England. And then I can show you where we keep all of our uniforms that _you_ made, by the way, to fool the Germans, and then I can show you where I make my explosives to bomb the trains, and…"

Hogan heard the entire exchange, and shook his head. Never did he think he'd see Newkirk want to spend time with Carter! But it just drove home the fact that Newkirk still didn't have his memory back. Well, he had until tomorrow night…if it wasn't back by then, he would have to send Newkirk to England. Hogan couldn't help wondering how the rest of his men would take the news, but they would have to accept it.

His mind was made up.

6


	7. Chapter 7

I know my last chapter was a bit short; I think this one will make up for it! :D

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 7**

It was late afternoon, and Newkirk and Carter were sitting at the long table in the middle of the barracks. They'd been there since lunch, when Carter had finally finished showing Newkirk around and filling him in on their operation. After they'd all eaten, Hogan had suggested that Newkirk might enjoy a game or two of cards. He didn't want Newkirk overdoing it, even if he did seem to be feeling better. Naturally, Carter volunteered to teach him, and they had been playing ever since.

"Gin!" Carter exclaimed for the fifth time in a row. He grinned and laid his cards out on the table.

Newkirk looked at his hand; he wasn't even close. "Looks like you win again, mate!" He said, smiling back at Carter and shaking his head. "I can't figure how you're doin' it…you must be some kind of ruddy genius at this game!"

Carter blushed; he wasn't used to getting complements from Newkirk. "Aw, thanks, buddy," he stammered, "But I'm just playing the way _you_ taught me. You're the one who usually wins all the time, by the way."

"I am?" Newkirk seemed surprised. "Well, you wouldn't know it, would you? At least, not after watchin' me today!"

Carter just smiled as he collected the cards and gave them a good shuffle. He was thoroughly enjoying spending all his time with Newkirk; who was, after all, his best friend in the camp as far as he was concerned. And, truth be told, he rather liked this new version of the Englishman; so willing to accept his help, so interested in what he had to say, and so…sincere. But he had to admit, he actually found himself missing Newkirk's teasing; it just didn't seem like him without it. Well, all he could do at this point was to help him as much as possible, and hope that his memory came back soon.

As Carter was dealing another hand, the bottom bunk to the tunnel banged up, and Kinch climbed out, followed by LeBeau. Kinch had been listening for conformation that Lt. Hanley had made it safely back to London. It finally came through, and he needed to inform Colonel Hogan. LeBeau had been doing a little touch-up sewing on some of the civilian clothes they kept down there, and was coming up to take a break. They both noticed that Carter was still playing cards with Newkirk.

"So, who's winning?" Kinch asked, a grin forming on his face.

"That would be my mate, Andrew, here," Newkirk answered, gesturing towards Carter with his hand. "I 'aven't beaten him once!"

LeBeau smiled. "You better enjoy it while you can," he said, addressing Carter, "When Newkirk gets his memory back, you'll never win again!"

"That's not true, Louie," Carter replied, scowling at the Frenchman, "I've beaten Newkirk lots of times!"

"Only when he lets you!" LeBeau retorted, his smile broadening.

Just then the door to Hogan's office opened, and the Colonel came over to join them. "Any news?" He asked Kinch.

"Yeah, Colonel, the Lieutenant made it back okay," Kinch informed him, "And London's got the information and the film we sent back with him."

"Very good," Hogan said, sounding relieved. He noticed the two men still playing cards. "So, who's winning?"

Kinch looked at Hogan and shook his head. "Don't ask!"

* * *

After supper Hogan quietly told Kinch to go down in the tunnel and contact London, and ask them if they could have a sub ready tomorrow night to pick up an escaping prisoner. Kinch looked at him curiously; they didn't have anyone waiting to leave at the moment. But when Hogan glanced in the direction of Newkirk, he suddenly understood. With a nod, Kinch headed over to the bunk, hit the side to open the bottom, and climbed down.

Hogan then looked over at Carter, who was sitting on his bunk; Newkirk seated next to him. He was regaling Newkirk with stories of his childhood, and the Englishman seemed completely engrossed in what Carter was telling him. A smile formed on Hogan's face, but there was sorrow in his eyes. He knew Carter would be devastated if he had to send Newkirk home, but it was looking more and more likely. Hogan didn't think one more day was going to make a difference. Still, he couldn't help holding out hope that Newkirk would wake up his old self come morning; Hogan hated the thought of losing him. _How am I going to manage without Newkirk? _He thought sadly, and then turned and headed for his office.

A short while later Kinch came back up into the barracks. He noticed right away that Newkirk was still sitting next to Carter, but now it appeared that LeBeau had joined the conversation as well. The Frenchman was sitting in front of them on a bench at the table, apparently explaining something to Newkirk.

"…and not only that, but you even know how to open safes…especially the one in Klink's office." LeBeau was saying.

"I do?" Newkirk replied, looking shocked. "So, what you're sayin' is that I'm not only a ruddy pickpocket, I'm a bleedin' safecracker as well!"

"Oui," LeBeau answered, "But it's a good thing, Newkirk. How else could we get a look at all the secret information Klink keeps in there?"

Newkirk wasn't convinced. He lowered his eyes and shook his head. "But that means I'm just some kind of bloody criminal…"

"No, that's not it at all!" Carter interrupted, shooting LeBeau a dirty look. "Maybe I don't know how you learned all those things," he continued, "But it sure has come in handy around here. We couldn't do half the stuff we do if it wasn't for you!"

"He's right, Newkirk," Kinch said, joining in. "You've saved us many times."

"Oui," LeBeau added, feeling guilty now for telling Newkirk about his shadier talents. "That's what I was trying to say. I wish you could remember, Mon Ami."

Newkirk looked at LeBeau and sighed heavily. "Me too, mate." He responded softly.

Just then Hogan came out of his office. He saw his men clustered around Carter's bunk, and called out, "Kinch, LeBeau, I need to talk to you in my quarters."

"Yes, sir," they answered, and went to join him as he went back into his office. As soon as the door was shut, he asked Kinch, "Did you send the message?"

"Yeah, Colonel," Kinch answered, "And London said they should be able to have a sub waiting tomorrow night."

"Good," Hogan said, and then turned to LeBeau. "I've decided to send Newkirk back to London. It's too dangerous to keep him here while he has amnesia."

"What?" LeBeau exclaimed, "You can't send him away, Colonel! Who else can help us the way he can?"

Hogan looked at him sympathetically. "And how is he going to help us, when he can't remember anything?"

LeBeau thought about it for a moment. "You're right, Mon Colonel," he finally agreed, "But Carter is going to be very upset with your decision. I've never seen him so happy; he's even got Newkirk following him around like a puppy. If you ask me, I think he's found a new best friend."

Hogan nodded. "I know. And I'll have to find a way to make him understand."

"Oh, one more thing, Colonel," Kinch cut in, "I got a message from the underground while I was waiting for London's reply. They want us to meet with them tomorrow night at the abandoned farm just north of here. They've got some information about a new munitions factory that's being built near here."

"Okay," Hogan answered in his business-as-usual voice. "LeBeau, you and Carter can go out and meet with them. I'll take care of getting Newkirk to the rendezvous point with the sub."

"Yes, sir," LeBeau responded. He wasn't happy at all that Newkirk would be leaving, but he knew the Colonel, and he could tell his mind was made up. He was going to miss his English friend, more than he cared to admit. But, deep down, he had to agree with Hogan's logic.

* * *

The next morning came too early. Newkirk had slept in his usual bunk above Carter's, and when he felt the Sergeant's hand on his arm, trying to wake him for roll call, all he wanted to do was turn over and go back to sleep. But he knew he had to get up, so he jumped down and quickly dressed. Just then Schultz opened the door and barged in, causing the men to groan loudly. Newkirk still felt a little nervous around the big German guard, but the others seemed to think he was okay, so he tried to relax.

"Rous, Rous," Schultz bellowed, shooing everyone toward the door. As they were beginning to file out into the cold morning, Schultz's gaze lighted on Newkirk.

"Newkirk," he said in his thick accent, "I heard that you've been having trouble with sleepwalking lately, is that true?"

"Sleepwalkin'?" Newkirk responded, and then looked at Carter, who was standing right next to him. "'Ave I been sleepwalkin', Andrew?" He asked him questioningly.

"Not that I know of," Carter answered. "You sure about what you heard?" He asked Schultz.

Hogan came up behind them and put his hand on the German Sergeant's shoulder. "Yeah, Schultz, it's true," he informed him, "Last night when Newkirk got up, he thought he was Major Hochstetter. It took us over an hour to get him to stop interrogating all the men in the barracks!"

Schultz's eyes widened. "Oh, that's terrible, Colonel Hogan!"

"Yeah, well, we're used to it by now," Hogan said, and then waved with his other hand toward the door. "After you, Schultz."

As they were lining up, Hogan noticed Newkirk looking at him with a thoroughly bewildered expression. "Don't worry, Newkirk, you haven't really been sleepwalking," he reassured him.

"Then why did you…" Newkirk started to ask.

"Because they don't need to know the truth," Hogan answered, glancing first at Schultz and then at Klink's office. "That's the way we do things around here…but you still don't remember, do you?" he said, turning his head to look at Newkirk. He already knew that Newkirk's memory wasn't back, and he inwardly sighed. _Looks like he's going home tonight._

"Sorry, Colonel Hogan," Newkirk replied, "Wish I could say I did."

"I wish you could, too."

After roll call Hogan told his four men to join him in his office. When they were all inside, Hogan closed the door and turned to face them. "I've had to make a difficult decision," he began, "But it's for the safety of each of you, as well as the safety of our operation here." He looked at Newkirk and felt his throat tighten. "Newkirk, I know you still haven't recovered your memory, and there's no way to know when it will come back. So I'm sending you back to England tonight."

Carter, who had been sitting on Hogan's bottom bunk, immediately jumped to his feet. "You can't do that, Colonel!" He shouted, his voice shaking with emotion.

Hogan gave Carter a stern look. "I can't?" He challenged.

I mean, you don't need to, sir," Carter replied sheepishly, realizing he'd just yelled at the Colonel. "I've already told him everything that he's forgotten, and he said he's feeling fine now, so he could probably help out on our next mission, and …"

"I'm sorry, Carter," Hogan interrupted, his voice taking on a more gentle tone. "He needs to go home."

Carter's face fell. He knew he wasn't going to change the Colonel's mind. "Yes, sir," he replied softly, and sat back down, fighting back the tears that were already starting to form in his eyes.

Kinch and LeBeau looked on with sympathy. They'd both known that Carter would take it pretty hard.

"And now, if you don't mind," Hogan said, "I'd like to speak with Newkirk alone for a few minutes." He didn't want to be so abrupt with his men, but he still had business to take care of. Consoling Carter would have to wait.

"Yes, sir," Kinch and LeBeau responded almost in unison. They got up and headed for the door, grabbing Carter on the way. As soon as they were gone, Hogan looked at the man that had been with him from the beginning of their whole operation, and felt a knot form in his stomach. This was proving to be much harder than he thought.

"Newkirk," Hogan began, "Do you understand why I'm sending you back to London?"

"I think so, Colonel Hogan," Newkirk answered, "It's because I've lost me memory, and it doesn't appear to be comin' back any time soon."

"That's right, Newkirk."

"But, Carter's got a point…he's told me everythin' what goes on around 'ere, and I'm sure I could help you with some of the work…"

"Aren't you afraid?" Hogan cut in.

"Truth be tellin', I'm more afraid of leavin'. I mean, I know I've got mates 'ere, but what do I 'ave waitin' for me in London? "

"Well, I know you have a sister named Mavis…"

"I do?"

"Yes, but beyond that…well, I'm sure you'll find out when you get there."

"Do I really 'ave to go, Colonel Hogan?"

"I'm afraid so."

Newkirk took a deep breath. "Well, all right, then. Guess I'll 'ave to trust you again, won't I?"

Hogan smiled. "I guess you will."

* * *

The rest of the day was a blur. Carter, Kinch, and LeBeau spent as much time as they could with Newkirk, knowing they might not see him again for a long time. As night approached, Carter and LeBeau had to get ready to go out for their rendezvous with the underground. Just before they left, Hogan brought Newkirk down into the tunnel so they could say their goodbyes. Carter stared intensely at Newkirk for a moment, as if he was taking a mental snapshot of his best friend, and then threw his arms around him unashamedly and gave him a big hug. "I'm going to miss you, buddy!" He whispered softly in Newkirk's ear.

Newkirk hugged him back. He'd grown very fond of this American Sergeant that had befriended him so eagerly. After a moment Carter pulled away, and he looked at him once more. "Take care, Andrew," he said, fighting back his own tears, "I'm sure I'll see you again, mate…as soon as this bloody war is over."

"You better believe it!" Carter answered, his voice full of emotion. Then he turned and headed toward the emergency exit.

Now it was LeBeau's turn. "Take care of yourself, Newkirk," he told him, "I'm going to miss you, you know."

"Thanks, mate," Newkirk replied, "I'll miss you, too."

LeBeau grabbed Newkirk's arms, leaned in, and kissed him on both cheeks. Newkirk seemed a bit surprised, but he smiled at the French Corporal and said, "You've got a bloody strange way of sayin' goodbye, 'aven't you?"

"No stranger than Carter's!" LeBeau exclaimed, smiling back at him. Then, he too headed down the tunnel, and was gone.

An hour later Hogan was preparing to take Newkirk to where he would meet up with the sub that would take him home. They were in the tunnel once again, and Kinch was about to say his farewells, when suddenly they heard a noise coming from the direction of the emergency exit. They recognized the sound of footsteps; and as they got closer, the men tensed. Just then a figure appeared, and Hogan recognized it as one of the underground leaders.

"Fritz Schuman," Hogan greeted him, shaking his hand, "What brings you to our neck of the woods this evening?"

"Bad news, Colonel Hogan," Fritz answered. "We've discovered a traitor in our underground operation, and I wanted to inform you immediately."

"A traitor?" Hogan didn't want to believe it. "Who is it?"

"That contact you had two days ago; his codename was 'Dwarf'."

_No wonder I hadn't seen him before, _Hogan thought to himself. "But the information he passed to us was accurate," Hogan said, sounding confused. "Why would he give us reliable intelligence?"

"Because he wanted to find out who Papa Bear is," Fritz told him. "But don't worry, Colonel Hogan," he continued, a dark expression crossing his face, "We've caught him, and he will be taken care of."

"That's good news, Fritz," Hogan replied, sounding relieved, "But why did you come all this way to tell me tonight?"

"Because we didn't have time to stop his latest plan," Fritz answered, sounding extremely worried now, "The men you sent to the meeting tonight…they're walking right into a trap!"

9


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

LeBeau and Carter were making good time picking their way through the dark forest. It was an exceptionally clear night, and the moon, although not quite full, was doing an excellent job of lighting their path. They were wearing civilian clothes for the meeting, and had both chosen dark colors to act as camouflage. Not a word had passed between them since leaving the camp, but as they neared their destination, LeBeau finally spoke up.

"Carter," he said quietly, "You know the Colonel had no choice, don't you? Newkirk needs to be back in London right now, where they can take care of him."

"I thought _I_ was doing a pretty good job of taking care of him," Carter mumbled.

"You were, Mon Ami," LeBeau replied, trying to console him, "But we're in a dangerous place; it's not safe for him to stay here in his condition. You wouldn't want Newkirk to get hurt, or even killed, would you?"

Carter took a deep breath and let out a sigh. "No, of course not, Louie," he conceded. "But I still don't understand why he couldn't just stay in camp, and take care of all the stuff that he used to do; like sewing uniforms, and forging papers, and making up disguises, and…"

"And how is he going to manage that," LeBeau interrupted, "When he doesn't remember how to do any of those things?"

"I know," Carter responded, barely above a whisper. "I…I just don't want him to go, Louie." A single tear ran down Carter's cheek, and he reached up and roughly wiped it away.

"Neither do I, Andrew," LeBeau replied softly, hating to see his friend so despondent. He was having his own internal struggle trying to come to grips with losing Newkirk, but he was determined to be strong; at least for now. Not just for Carter, but because they still had a job to do.

As they came in sight of the barn where the meeting was to be held, they stopped and glanced around quickly; looking for any sign of trouble. Seeing none, they headed quietly toward the barn. Just before they reached the big door leading into the abandoned building, LeBeau reached over and grabbed Carter's arm.

"Andrew, are you sure you can go through with this?" LeBeau asked, wondering if he should have Carter stay outside.

"Yeah, Louie," Carter reassured him as confidently as he could, "I'll be okay."

LeBeau nodded. "Well then, let's get this over with." He opened the door and they stepped inside.

* * *

"What do you mean, 'a trap'?" Hogan asked, feeling another knot forming in his stomach. Only this one was the all-too-familiar knot of worry.

Fritz Schuman inhaled deeply and began to explain. "We only found out we had a traitor in our midst a short while ago, Colonel Hogan. When we brought him in and started questioning him, he first admitted to aiding in the re-capture of the five escaped prisoners from Stalag 4. After more…how should I put it...'intense' questioning, we found out that he's informed the Gestapo about the meeting tonight, and one of their officers will be making an unexpected appearance in the hopes of capturing the great 'Papa Bear'. So you see, not only are your men in danger, but also our agent that is there to meet with them."

"Well, we'll just have to go and rescue them, won't we?" Hogan said, looking at Kinch. "Don't worry, Fritz," he added, turning back to the underground leader and putting his hand on the older man's shoulder, "We'll get them out of there."

"I hope so, Colonel," Fritz replied. "And now I have to get back; we have a lot of things to take care of."

"I understand," Hogan told him, "It looks like we do, too."

* * *

As LeBeau and Carter entered the barn, they didn't see anyone initially, so they walked in a bit further, searching intensely with their eyes. Suddenly LeBeau saw movement, and he stopped dead in his tracks. The figure came closer, and he smiled wide… it was Gretchen!

"Mon Cheri," LeBeau exclaimed, "I'm so happy to see you again!"

"Oh, LeBeau," Gretchen replied in a strained voice, "It's you!"

"Please, call me Louie," LeBeau told her, reaching for her hand.

"Louie," she said, looking worriedly into his eyes, "I'm so sorry…"

Just then LeBeau and Carter both heard the sound of a gun's safety catch being released directly behind them. "Don't move!" A voice shouted; and then, "Hands in the air! Turn around slowly!"

They did as they were told. Once they had turned, they found themselves face to face with a Gestapo Major, flanked by two guards. And all three men had guns pointed directly at them.

The Gestapo officer smiled coldly. "I am Major Steiger," he said, introducing himself, "And I am here to capture the elusive 'Papa Bear' once and for all." He scrutinized the men before him carefully, and then added, "Unfortunately, neither of you match the description I was given; so you must be working for him, correct?"

LeBeau was the first to respond. "I don't know what you're talking about, Major. We were just passing through, and wanted to find a place to sleep for the night."

"Now why don't I believe you?" Major Steiger replied, looking at LeBeau suspiciously. "Perhaps it's because you and this underground agent…" he reached forward and grabbed Gretchen's arm, pulling her roughly next to him, "Recognized each other!"

"You leave her alone!" LeBeau shouted angrily, ignoring the guards, who had moved a step closer to him.

Major Steiger held up his hand. "Relax…LeBeau, is it?" He replied calmly, "I'm not going to hurt your little Fraulein here," he reached up and ran his finger lightly over her cheek, and then shoved her forcefully at LeBeau, who had to catch her to keep her from falling. "I only plan on keeping you all here long enough to attract the, 'Big Fish', yes? I'm sure that when you don't return, he will come looking for you."

LeBeau exchanged a quick glance with Carter, which didn't go unnoticed by the Major.

"And now, I suggest the three of you have a seat," Steiger said, gesturing toward the bales of hay that were stacked up against the far wall, "We may be here for a while."

* * *

As soon as Fritz left, Hogan sprang into action. "Kinch, contact the sub and tell them we won't be able to make the rendezvous tonight," he directed, and then started heading over to where they kept the civilian clothes. "Then I want you to change," he continued, already picking out a nondescript shirt and trousers for himself, "You're coming with me."

"What about me, Colonel Hogan?" Newkirk interjected. Up to now he'd been hanging back, just taking in the scene that was occurring before him. But when he realized that Hogan was actually going to try to rescue LeBeau and Carter, he found himself wanting to help.

"Oh, Newkirk," Hogan said absently, as though he had forgotten the Corporal was there, "I'm afraid we'll have to wait a little longer to get you back to London. Why don't you go up to the barracks and get some sleep? We can try again tomorrow night."

"No, Colonel Hogan," Newkirk replied, "That's not what I was askin' about…I want to come with you."

Hogan looked at him, surprised. "You want to come with us? Newkirk, do you know how dangerous this is going to be?"

Newkirk took a deep breath. "I know," he responded, "But my mates are in trouble. Colonel Hogan, you've got to let me 'elp you get them out of there!"

Hogan stared at Newkirk. He saw fear in his eyes, but there was determination in them as well. It took only a moment for him to decide. "All right, Newkirk," he said, "We could use an extra person. But you have to do exactly what I tell you, understand?"

"Yes, Sir!" Newkirk agreed.

When the three of them had finished changing clothes, they headed through the tunnel to the emergency exit; Hogan leading the way. Just before they climbed up, Hogan turned to Newkirk. "I want you to stick close to me; if you see me duck down, you do the same. And try to keep as quiet as possible, got it?"

"I got it, mate...uh, I mean, Colonel Hogan," Newkirk replied, his nervousness getting the better of him for a moment.

"You sure you want to do this, Newkirk?" Hogan asked him, giving him one last chance to back out.

"I'm sure," Newkirk answered, more confidently than he felt.

Hoping he wouldn't regret it, Hogan replied, "Then let's go."

* * *

Hogan, Kinch, and Newkirk made their way through the woods, following the path that the other two men had taken. When they reached the barn, Hogan motioned toward a thick row of bushes that were near the back of the building. They moved over to them silently and crouched down. Once they were hidden from view, Hogan raised his head slowly and scrutinized the surrounding area. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but he did notice a small gap in the wall of the barn; big enough to get a look through. He motioned for Kinch and Newkirk to sit tight, and crept up to the barn, kneeling to put his eye up to the hole. He peered in, and saw LeBeau and Carter sitting on a pile of hay, talking to an attractive girl who was sitting between them. He strained to see the rest of the interior, but his field of view was restricted, so he stood up and returned quickly to his two men, once again crouching behind the bushes.

"What did you see, Colonel?" Kinch whispered.

"Just LeBeau and Carter," Hogan whispered back, "And a girl…she must be the underground agent they were supposed to meet."

"Maybe we got here before the Gestapo," offered Kinch.

"Maybe." Hogan appeared to be thinking. "All right, here's what we're gonna do. Kinch, you and I are going to go in there and get them out." He reached behind him and took out a gun that he had hidden in the back waistband of his trousers. He then nodded to Kinch, who did the same, producing a gun of his own. Newkirk's eyes went wide.

"You've got guns?" He exclaimed in a loud whisper.

"I told you this would be dangerous," Hogan replied quietly. "Now, Newkirk, I want you to stay put. After we get everyone out of the barn, I'll send them to meet up with you here, and if the coast is still clear, we can all head back to camp."

"And what if somethin' goes wrong, Colonel Hogan?" Newkirk asked worriedly.

Hogan leaned in close and stared intently at Newkirk. "Then I want you to go back to camp the way we came, and pretend you don't know anything about this. There's another guy in the barracks that knows how to work the radio, and if we get caught, he'll need to get word back to London. Under no circumstances are you to follow us in there; do you understand?"

"But…" Newkirk started to protest.

"Do you understand?" Hogan repeated firmly. His tone let Newkirk know that his instructions were final.

"Yes, sir," Newkirk whispered, accepting Hogan's order.

Hogan caught Kinch's eye. "Let's go," he said, and the two of them stood up and headed for the door.

* * *

"I'm so sorry, Louie," Gretchen was saying to LeBeau when Hogan had peeked through the gap in the wall. "That Major was here when I arrived…there was nothing I could do to warn you."

"I know, Gretchen," LeBeau reassured her. "It's not your fault." He glanced over to where the Gestapo Major had hidden himself and his guards, hoping to surprise Papa Bear when he arrived. "Filthy Boche!" He muttered under his breath, and then looked back at Gretchen, concerned. "Did he hurt you?"

"Nein, Louie," she answered, "I'm all right."

"Well if you ask me," Carter said, joining the conversation, "We're gonna have to find a way out of here ourselves. Colonel Hoga…I mean, Papa Bear isn't going to know we're here, anyway, so I don't think he's going to show up." Carter thought about it for a moment. "Hey, maybe if we wait until they're not looking, and make a break for the door, and…"

"And what, Carter?" LeBeau interjected. "Did you notice their guns? Do you really think we could sneak right by them?"

"No, I suppose not, Louie," Carter acquiesced.

Just then they noticed the barn door open slightly, and saw a figure slip through the opening. It was followed by another, and when they were both inside, they shut the door quietly. The two figures approached, glancing around furtively, and when they got closer, LeBeau and Carter recognized them immediately.

"Colonel Hogan," LeBeau whispered fiercely, "It's a trap…look out behind you!"

Hogan and Kinch spun around, just in time to see Major Steiger appear out of the shadows.

"I wouldn't do it, if I were you!" Steiger exclaimed, pointing his gun at Hogan, and then shouted, "Drop your guns, now!"

Hogan and Kinch slowly leaned down and placed their guns on the floor. Major Steiger smiled and said, "Very good, Papa Bear, you are as smart as I've been told you are. I believe we have a great deal to discuss, you and I, and I'm sure Gestapo Headquarters will be an excellent place to do just that."

"Look, I don't know what you've been told," Hogan replied, switching over to his best German, "But you've obviously been misinformed. We were just on our way to apply for work at the new munitions factory, when we saw this place. We were only planning to rest for a few minutes."

"Nice try, Papa Bear," Steiger answered in English, sounding amused. "But I am not fooled; I know who you are. Now, if you come with me willingly, I may let your accomplices go; otherwise, I'm sure we can find room for them at our Headquarters."

Hogan glanced at his men, and the poor girl who had unwittingly been involved in the whole affair. "All right," he responded, "I'll go with you. As long as you let them go."

"Excellent!" Major Steiger exclaimed, then turning to the guards, ordered, "Go get the car and bring it back here at once!"

* * *

Newkirk was watching nervously from his hiding place behind the bushes. He saw Hogan and Kinch enter the barn, and waited for them to bring out the occupants and send them in his direction. After a minute passed, he heard shouting coming from inside, and crouched lower; trying to make himself invisible behind the row of bushes. He waited and waited, and just as he started to lose patience, he heard the door open. He raised his head and peered into the distance, and saw two German guards walking out of the barn.

_Oh, bloody hell! _He thought to himself. _They've all been captured, 'aven't they? What the bloody hell do I do now?_

8


	9. Chapter 9

Phew! I did it! I sincerely hope you've enjoyed reading this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it!

**

* * *

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**Chapter 9**

Newkirk watched as the guards stood there talking to each other. Then one of them walked off, while the other leaned against the wall of the barn; supposedly there to keep watch. The guard pulled a cigarette out of his pocket, lit it, and just stood there puffing away, all the while gazing out toward the trees.

Newkirk crouched back down behind the bushes, and tried to think. Hogan had told him to go back to camp if something went wrong, and he was pretty sure he could find his way there; he'd paid close attention to the path they'd followed on their way out to the barn. But, how could he leave; at least without knowing what was happening? _I've got to 'ave a look, _he decided, _then I'll scarper, and head back to the Stalag. _

Summoning his courage, Newkirk rose slowly, keeping a close eye on the guard who was still up near the front of the barn. The man seemed to be lost in a daydream, so Newkirk silently crept up to the back of the building. He hunched down and put his eye up to the hole in the barn wall, just like he'd seen Hogan do earlier. He could see LeBeau and Carter standing near the bales of hay with the girl that Hogan had mentioned, and directly in front of them stood Hogan and Kinch. They were all looking straight ahead at something, so Newkirk strained to see what had their attention. Just then he saw him; a mean-looking German Major, staring at his prisoners with a cruel smile plastered on his face…and pointing a gun at them!

Suddenly, like a slap in the face, Newkirk's memory came flooding back. His eyes widened and he let out a gasp, and then he lost his balance and fell backwards, sitting down hard on the ground below him. His mind was reeling, and he sat there for at least a minute, trying to regain his senses. At last his thoughts settled down, and, at that moment, one thing became perfectly clear to him; he had to save them.

Thinking quickly, Newkirk got up and walked to the end of the barn. He peeked around the corner, and saw the guard still standing in the same spot. He bent down and grabbed a handful of rocks, and threw them at the bushes where he'd been hiding just a few minutes ago. The guard heard it, and started walking toward the noise to investigate. Newkirk pressed his back to the wall, and as the guard passed by him, his attention still on the bushes, Newkirk leaped out and grabbed the man from behind, placing one hand over his mouth, and wrapping his arm around the man's throat; effectively cutting off his airway. The guard struggled for a moment, and then went limp. Newkirk released him, letting him drop to the ground.

A quick check revealed that the guard was out cold. Newkirk quickly stripped him of his uniform, and changed into it. He picked up the guard's rifle, and headed for the door to the barn. When he got there, he banged on it loudly, and yelled in German, "Major, you're wanted outside, now!"

Keeping his gun pointed at Hogan, Major Steiger stepped backward until he was up against the door. "I'm very busy right now!" He yelled, sounding irritated. "What do you want?"

"There's a Major Hochstetter out here, and he wants to have a word with you," Newkirk said loudly, "He said he's been ordered to take care of the prisoners himself."

_That voice is very familiar, _Hogan thought to himself.

"What?" Steiger shouted, turning his head to the side so his ear was adjacent with the crack in the door, "That weasel? By whose authority?"

"General Hoganmuller told him to take over," Newkirk informed the Major.

Hogan shot a glance at Kinch, who was looking back at him, his eyes wide. It was Newkirk!

"General Hoganmuller?" Steiger asked, suspiciously. "I've never heard of him!"

"That's what Major Hochstetter told me to tell you," Newkirk replied. "He's out here right now if you want to speak to him."

Major Steiger opened the door a crack and peered out. He saw a Gestapo guard on the other side, and pulled the door open a little further. "Major Hochstetter is here?" He asked, trying to look past Newkirk.

"Jawohl, Herr Major," Newkirk answered, "He's around the side of the barn, waiting in his car."

Steiger contemplated for a moment. "Very well," he said at last, "I will go and talk to him. You, come in here and guard these prisoners." He swung open the door to let Newkirk in.

Newkirk entered, glancing quickly at Hogan. He knew the Colonel recognized him.

"Watch these men very closely, Sergeant," Steiger said to Newkirk, noticing his rank on the uniform he was wearing. "I should be back soon." The Major lowered his gun, and, as quick as a wink, Newkirk had his rifle pointed at the Major's head.

Steiger's eyes widened. He started to bring his weapon up, but before he could raise it an inch, Newkirk cocked the rifle and shouted in English, "Easy there, mate! I wouldn't do that if I were you!"

Steiger could tell that Newkirk meant business. He lowered his gun and tossed it to the floor. Newkirk motioned for him to back up, and after he complied, the Englishman bent down and retrieved the weapon. He held it out to Hogan, who came up and took it from him.

Hogan couldn't contain himself any longer. "Newkirk!" He exclaimed happily, "You're here!"

Newkirk smiled wide. "Where else would I be, Colonel?"

Hogan was grinning from ear to ear. "I see you got your memory back as well."

"Funny thing, that," Newkirk told him, "Must 'ave been when I saw the Major 'ere threatenin' you with his gun; it all just came back to me."

Hogan looked puzzled. "I thought I told you to go back to camp if anything went wrong."

"What, and miss all the fun?" Newkirk replied, and then added, "Colonel, if I start listenin' to you, we'll never win this bleedin' war!"

Hogan chuckled. _Yep, Newkirk's back, all right! _

Carter, who had been watching the entire scene unfold before his eyes, finally spoke up. "Newkirk!" He said, beaming, "Boy, am I glad to see you! I thought you were on your way home, buddy…oh, but you won't have to leave now, will you? I mean, since you got your memory back, you should be able to stay; since there's no reason to send you back to…"

"Carter," Hogan interjected, "We'll discuss this later, okay?"

"Yeah, okay, Colonel." Carter responded, but he still had a huge smile on his face.

Newkirk just grinned. Then he looked over at LeBeau, and the person who was standing next to him. "'Ello, ello; who's this?" He queried, raising his eyebrow. "I see we 'ave a lovely Fraulein 'ere," he said, trying to sound gallant, "And what is your name, miss?"

LeBeau put his arm around her. "Her name is Gretchen," he told Newkirk, a smug expression on his face, "And she's with me."

Gretchen, who had finally realized that their ordeal was over, turned to LeBeau and exclaimed, "Oh, Louie, you were so brave!" She threw her arms around him, and planted a big kiss on LeBeau's cheek. LeBeau looked at Newkirk, smiling satisfactorily, and added, "See?"

Newkirk shook his head. "Now, how do you like that?" He replied to the room at large, "I save the lot o' you, and Louie gets the girl!"

That got a good laugh out of the men.

Just then a figure appeared in the doorway; it was Fritz Schuman. He caught Hogan's eye, and the Colonel walked over to greet him.

"What are you doing here, Fritz?" Hogan asked him

"Well, Colonel Hogan," he answered, "After we took care of our former, 'agent', we thought we would come out here and help you if we could. But I see you already have everything under control."

Hogan smiled. "Well, we'd appreciate it if you could take care of this Gestapo Major for us," he motioned toward Steiger, "I'm sure he would enjoy a nice trip to London, don't you?"

Fritz smiled back. "We would be more than happy to, Colonel Hogan. And we have already apprehended the guard that was on his way to pick up the car, not to mention the one that's unconscious behind the barn."

Hogan glanced at Newkirk, who just shrugged. "That's great, Fritz," He said, turning his attention back to the underground leader, "I don't know what we'd do without you!"

"And us, without you and your men, Colonel," Fritz responded. "Now, I'm guessing you have to get back to your POW camp," he added, "So you better be on your way. I'm sure I'll see you again, soon." He held out his hand, and Hogan shook it warmly.

Hogan then turned to address his men. "All right, fellas," he stated, "You heard him…let's get back to the barracks." He moved next to Newkirk and put his hand on the Corporal's shoulder. "You, too," he said to him, grinning.

* * *

"So, Newkirk," Kinch finally spoke up as they started their trek back through the woods, "Do you remember how you lost your memory in the first place?"

Newkirk frowned. "I'm still not clear on that one, mate," he answered.

"Colonel," LeBeau said, looking at Hogan, "Didn't you tell us that Newkirk tripped and fell, and hit his head on something?"

"Yeah, Colonel," Carter piped up, agreeing with LeBeau, "I remember you saying that, too, when we found out Newkirk had amnesia, and he was greeting us like he'd never seen us before. That was sure strange, wasn't it? I mean, I never knew anyone who lost their memory, so when he…"

"Yes, Carter," Hogan cut in, sounding exasperated, "We all remember that."

"So, Colonel, what _did_ 'appen, exactly?" Newkirk asked him.

"Well," Hogan looked at him uncomfortably, "We were trying to get away from a German patrol,"

"I remember that part," Newkirk interjected.

"And I was running back to get you," Hogan continued, "When you stepped out in front of me, and I, uh, knocked you down."

Newkirk looked at him in disbelief. "_You_ knocked me down, Colonel?"

"Accidently, of course."

"You mean to tell me, _you're_ the reason I lost me memory and almost 'ad to go back to London?"

"Yeah…I'm, ah, really sorry about that, Newkirk."

"I'm sorry, too, Colonel," Newkirk retorted, "Sorry my amnesia didn't last one more day…I could 'ave been sittin' in me favorite pub by tomorrow night, havin' a pint or two, and meetin' up with a couple of birds I know…"

LeBeau smiled and gave Newkirk a nudge with his arm. "You wouldn't enjoy it, you know," he said teasingly, "You'd miss us too much."

Newkirk looked at LeBeau and smirked. "Not a chance!"

* * *

Hogan slept like a rock for the first time in three days. Maybe it was because he'd been exhausted from the previous night's activities, or maybe it was the fact that he didn't have to worry about Newkirk's amnesia anymore Whatever the reason, when he heard LeBeau tapping on his door to wake him for roll call, he felt like he'd actually gotten a good night's sleep. He jumped down from his bunk, and put on his uniform. When he was dressed, he went out into the main barracks. He noticed that all of the men were in various stages of getting ready; except for one…Newkirk was still lying on his bunk with his eyes closed. Hogan walked over and reached up, shaking Newkirk's shoulder gently with his hand.

"Newkirk, time to wake up," Hogan said, wondering how he could sleep through all the noise the men were making.

Newkirk opened his eyes and looked at Hogan. "Oh, 'ello," he responded, a curious expression on his face, "And who might you be?"

Hogan froze. It wasn't possible, was it? Could Newkirk's amnesia have come back? "Don't…don't you know who I am, Newkirk?" he stammered, not wanting to believe it.

"Sorry, mate, you don't look familiar," Newkirk answered, "And by the way, could you tell me where I am?"

Carter, who was standing near the end of the bunk, had heard what Newkirk said, and his eyes grew wide.

"Colonel!" He exclaimed, looking worriedly at Hogan, "Newkirk's got amnesia again!"

"What?" LeBeau called out from where he was standing by the stove. "That's not possible!"

Kinch came over to join them. "Are you sure about that, Andrew?" He asked, "I've never heard of something like that happening before."

Hogan held up his hand. "I'll take care of this," he informed them. "Now, Newkirk," he said, looking directly at him, "Why don't you come down here and get dressed, and I'll have our medic take a look at you, okay?"

"Whatever you say, mate," Newkirk answered. He jumped off the bunk and immediately started looking around. "What should I wear?"

Carter grabbed Newkirk's uniform off the bed post. "Here you go, buddy," he said, handing it to Newkirk.

Newkirk quickly changed, and looked once again at Hogan. "Now what, mate?"

"Now I want you to come into my quarters and have a seat, and I'll send one of my men to get Sergeant Wilson." Hogan felt like he was having déjà-vu. He started walking toward his office, gesturing to Newkirk to follow. As he reached the door, he said, more to himself, "I sure hope Wilson can fix this!"

"And if he can't," Hogan heard Newkirk say behind him, "Does that mean I can go back to London after all, Colonel Hogan?"

Hogan whirled around, and instantly saw it; that glorious, irritating, all-too-familiar mischievous Newkirk smile. The one he hadn't seen in three days; the one he thought he'd never see again.

And all he wanted to do at that moment was wipe it right off Newkirk's face!

"Newkirk!" Hogan roared, "I can't believe you're joking about this! Don't you know how serious this is?"

Newkirk just smiled wider. "I'm just gettin' you back for knockin' me down in the first place, Colonel, and startin' this whole bloody mess!"

Hogan was beside himself. "Why, I oughtta…"

"Newkirk!" LeBeau shouted from behind him. "How could you tease us like that? Don't you know how worried we were about you?"

Newkirk turned around. "And what about what I've been goin' through?" He shot back.

"Oh? And what is that?" LeBeau snapped.

And that's when they all started to talk at once.

"…not knowin' who I am, or what's goin' to 'appen to me…"

"…liked you better that way…"

"…not to mention listenin' to Carter jabberin' on for three days straight…"

"…you wait a minute! I was only trying to help…"

"…not very nice, Newkirk! You should apologize…"

"…and you didn't seem to mind at the time…"

"…guys? I think you better cool it; we've got roll call any min…"

Hogan watched his men arguing. He was about to step in and put a stop to it, when suddenly he leaned back against the door to his quarters, letting a huge smile spread across his face.

Yep, things were certainly back to normal!

. . .

The End

* * *

A/N: You didn't really think I'd send Newkirk back to London, did you? What fun would that be? :D

8


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